Razor-blade sharpener.



v 1. LEGG. RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 15. I917.

1 $81 ,QOL Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

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RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. I9I7- 1 21 4 Patented 0%. 15, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- 3f 7 5 55 ammmtoz J. LEGGp RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER.

)APPLICATION man NOV. 15. Ian.

1,25L4QOL Patented 00. 15, I918.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

- Applicationfiled'movember15,1917. Serial No. 202,199.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, JOHN Lnoo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Razor- Blade Sharpeners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in razor blade sharpening devices of the type employing a pair of sharpening rollers into contact with which the blades are alternately shifted, and one object of the invention is to provide means for forcing one half of the number of blades into contact with one roller, before the other half of such number is forced against the other roller, thus insuring a device which may be operated with little power.

A-further object is to provide means for holding the blades against the rollers under tension and to so construct the device that this tension will be the same in all instances.

Yet another object is to provide a novel type of blade holder which is quickly attachable and detachable and easily adjusted for beveling the edge of the blade to a greater or less extent.

A still further object is to provide a sharpening machine of the class set forth which will be comparatively simple and inexpensive, yet highly efficient and durable; and with these general objects in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and unique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a disassembled perspective view of the blade holder;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section showing more particularly the mounting of the arm which carries the blade clamp;

Fig. 5'is a perspective of a pair of the blade holders and the operating means thereof;

Fig. ,6 is a vertical longitudinal section on the plane of the line 66 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a similar view on the plane indicated by the line 77 of Fig. 3.

Briefly speaking, the invention comprisesa pair of sharpening rollers 1, a plurality of blade holders 2, a rock shaft 3 upon which half of said plurality of holders is mounted, a tubular rock shaft a surrounding a portion of the shaft 3, and means for rocking the two shafts in opposite directions simultaneously, together with yielding connections between the holders 2 and the rock shafts 3 and 4, and the novel construction of said holders to be described.

The rollers 1 are preferably though not necessarily formed of wood provided with a covering 5 of leather or any other preferred material, said rollers being vertically spaced and positioned between a pair of upright end plates 6 which rise from an appropriate base 7. The shafts 8 of the rollers 1 are rotatably mounted in suitable bearing openings formed in the plates 6, and at one end, said shafts are provided with intermeshing spur gears 9 of equal diameter. The opposite end of. the upper shaft 8 is equipped with a relatively large gear 10' with which a pinion 11 on a drive shaft 12 meshes, said drive shaft having a grooved pulley or thelike 13 whereby it may be rotated from any suitable means such as a water motor. though not necessarily spaced above the shafts 8 as shown clearly in the drawings.

The rock shaft 3 extends between the end plates 6 in parallel relation with the rollers 1, and one end of said shaft, as well as the tubular shaft 4, extends beyond the end plate adjacent the gear 9,said shafts being here provided with crank arms 14: with which a pair of pitman rod 15 are adjustably connected at 16, said pitman rods being pivoted at eccentric points to the gears 9. By reference to the .drawings, it will be observed that the two arms 14- extend in opposite directions and it will thus be clear that rotation of the gears 9 will oppositely rock the shafts 3 and 4 tocorrespondingly move the'work holders 2 which are mounted thereon.

Each of the blade holders. 2 includes a sleeve 17 mounted loosely on the shaft 3 or Patented Get. 35, 112118.

The shaft 12 is preferably erating shaft.

as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. Clamping screws 23 are threaded through the upper ends of the arm 22 for securing the arms '19 in adjusted position, and in order to prevent lateral swingingof these arms, the fiattened upper sides of thesleeves 17 are preferably provided with ribs 2a which are snugly received in the slots 21. Also, in order to limit the extent which the arms 19 project from the sleeves 17, stop plates 25 overlie said arms and .are adapted to abut the lugs 22 as shown clearly in Fig. 4, suitable bolts 26 being provided for clamping said stop plates in any desired position. As also featured in Fig. 4, the clamping screws 23 contact with the upper sides of the plates 25, but it will be understood that they could well engage the arms 19 if desired.

By the construction just described, it will be obvious that any of the arms 19 may be quickly and easily attached or detached. In removing these arms, it is simply necessary to loosen the clamping screws 23, whereupon the arm is shifted rearwardly sufiicientl to clear the lug 22, and then raised. 25, the bevel of the blades being sharpened may be'varied, since such adjustment will change the angle at which the blade is presented to the rollers 1.

A highly important feature of the inven I tion is a yielding connection between each of. the blade holders 2 and its respective opthe present embodiment of the invention as consisting briefly of an arm 27 extending laterally from! the shaft, a lug or' other lateral projection '28 extending from the sleeve 17, and a pair of yielding abutments 29 mounted on said arm and receiving said projection therebetween. Any preferred.

means could well be employed for securing the several arms 27 to their -respective shafts 34, but said arms will in most cases be provided with collars 30 secured on said shafts by set screws or the like 31. Similarly, although the abutments 29 might be varied in shape and mounting they are preferably pivoted to the arms 27 between their ends as indicated at 32, the upper ends of said abutments receiving the lugs 28 between them, whereas coiled springs 33 are positioned between the lower ends of said abutments as illustrated clearly in the draw-' ings. I

By the construction just described or its equivalent, the blade holders 2 are connected yieldably with their respective operating shafts. By this arrangement,- the blades are brought into contact with the sharpening rollers 1 and since this limits the movement of the holders 2, further rotation of the y properly adjusting the plates This connection is shown inshafts will so turn the arms 27 as to a rock the abutments '29, thus placing the springs 33 under tension. The tension of these springs is'thus exerted to retain the blade in contact withthe roller under the proper pressure. Since each arm 27 is provided with two \abutments 29, and the adjacent lug 28 is positioned between said abutments, the action of these parts will be identical, whether the blade be moved into con-' tact with .the upper or the lower roller.

It is to be understood that the blade clamps 20 may be of any suitable construe tion, but each of said clamps preferably includes a horizontal base plate 34 having an upwardly turned rear end 35 formed with.

a transverse groove in which the rear edge of an upper clamping plate 36 is positioned, a clamping screw or bolt 37 being provided for drawing said plate 36 downwardly upon the razor blade 38 which rests on the plate 34.. The upwardly turned rear end 35 contacts with the downwardly turned front end 39 of the arm 19 and the two are connected by a screw or other fastener 40, whereby the clamp 20 may be so adjusted as to permit the blade 38 to contact with the rollers 1 throughout its length.

In operation, the blades 38'are secured in I the clamps 20 and the arms 19 are then positioned upon the sleeves 17.- The stop plates 25 are now suitably adjusted, according to the desired bevel to be imparted to the edge of the blade, and this having been done, the set screws '23 are tightened. The driving means of the machine is now set in motion, with the result that the two shafts 3 and 4 are oppositely rocked simultaneously with driving of the sharpening rollers 1.'

Since half of the series of blade holders are carried by one shaft and half by the other, onehalf of said series will be forced toward one roller while the other half is moved toward the other roller. The arrangement is such that when one half of the number of blades is beingfforced against one roller, the other half of such number is engaging the other roller with little or no pressure. The moment pressure is relieved from one set however, it is applied to the other. It will thus be seen that all of the blades do not contact under pressure with the rollers at the same time, and thus friction is reduced to the minimum to insure easy running. All of the blades will be held yieldably in contact with the rollers, under the tension of the springs 33 and thus the sharpening operation will be more perfectly performed than is possible when the blade is held against the rollers by a rigid means.

From the foregoing, taken in connection neeneo ensive nature, it will be highly eflicient and durable for the purposes intended. Since probably the best results are obtained from the several specific details shown and described, these details are by preference employed, but I wish it understood that within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may well be made.

I claim:

1. A razor blade sharpener comprising a pair of driven sharpening members, and means for shifting a number of blades first one and then the other of said sharpening members and for simultaneously shifting other blades in the same manner, said means includlng means for shiftmg said first named bladesegainst one sharpening member while the second named blades are contact with the other member.

2, A razor blade sharpening device co nrung-a pair of driven sharpening mema rock having blade holders for a number of blades first againstone aid men" acre and then against the other, a second roe; shaft having blade holders for j 'cnal blades in the same manlor rocking" said shafts, to said olders as specified, A blade sharpener comprising a l sharpening members, a pluholders operatively associated ripening members, a rock shait certain of said plurality of blade and tubular rock shaft sura portion of said first named rock ternately toward the two sharpening members, laterally extending members on said holder and support, a air ofabutments pivoted between their en s to one of said memhere, the other 'member being disposed between said abutments, at one end of the latter, and a spring between the other ends of said abutments. 5. A razor blade sharpening device comprising a pair of sharpening members, a

blade holder including a sleeve, a rock shaft upon which said sleeve is mounted loosely, an arm extending vlaterally from said rock shaft, a pair of yielding abutments on said arm, and a lug on said sleeve received between said aloutments; together with means for rocking said shaft to move said work holder alternately toward the two sharpening members,

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

" LEGS \flfitnesses:

Lace, SUSAN lans Less. 

